Heavy vehicle offences and penalties

Heavy vehicle laws

You can face significant penalties for breaking heavy vehicle rules.

If you speed or overload a heavy vehicle, you face increased fines and demerit points. This is because heavy vehicles pose a greater danger to people and to public infrastructure if they are driven unsafely.

The aim of heavy vehicle laws are to make NSW roads safer for everyone. They encourage safe driving and management of heavy vehicles.

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Heavy vehicle drivers and operators must comply with the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

See the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator website for information about heavy vehicle law, penalties and demerit points.

Heavy vehicle offences and penalties

Overweight vehicle offences

It is an offence to load and drive a heavy vehicle with a greater load than it is designed for. This is because an overweight vehicle can:

• be more difficult to drive
• cause more harm to public safety or the environment
• damage road infrastructure.

Over-dimension offences

There are significant penalties for a heavy vehicle driver and operator if a vehicle is too tall or too long for the road it is driving on, which may include licence or registration suspension. If you drive a heavy vehicle on a non-approved road, you could cause an accident, obstruct the road, or have an effect on public amenity.

You may also need to compensate for the damage caused, including the cost of repairs.

Find the full list of offences and their penalties on Search demerit point offences.